Can opener means



July 30, 1957 H. F. JERNEGAN 2,800,712

CAN OPENER MEAN Filed Feb 17,, 1954 FIG. 3.

|2 I4 INVENTOR HORACE F. JERNEGAN ATTORNEYS United States Patent CANOPENER MEANS Horace F. Jernegan, Siasconset, Mass.

Application February 17, 1954, Serial No. 410.766 4 Claims. (Cl. 3(l1)This invention relates to an opener for rimless and other types of cans.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a cheaplyconstructed standard which may be used with conventional can openers foropening cans containing liquids, semi-liquids, and solid materials, suchas beer, fruit juices, vegetables, and for paints and other commodities.

A further object is to provide a can standard that may be furnished withone or more cans gratis due to its cheapness.

An additional object is to provide a can standard consisting of a singlepiece of material, such as sheet metal, for use with a conventional canopener whereby to enable the latter to readily open or puncture arimless can.

Other objects will appear hereinafter throughout the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device of this invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a conventional can opener; and

Figure 3 is a side elevation of a can with parts thereof broken away,shown with a can opener and the device of this invention.

Referring to the drawings, indicates the shank portion of the standard.The lower end of the shank portion is provided with a substantiallyright-angled support or foot 12 for supporting the can. Preferably, thejuncture of the foot with the shank includes a depressed portion 14, inorder that the standard may be used to open cans having rims as Well ascans of the rimless type, the depressed portion merely serving toaccommodate a rim of a can of the first-mentioned type.

The upper portion of the shank is provided with a turned-over orslightly hook-shaped end 16. This end accommodates thedownwardly-extending boss 18 of the conventional opener 20, which latterwas provided with the usual sharpened cutting element 22 and a handleportion 24.

Numerous types of cans, especially cans for dispensing milk in liquid orflaked form are of the rimless type. It is not possible to use with suchcans, a conventional can opener such as indicated at 20. Such cans maybe readily opened by the device of the present invention by merelyinserting the foot 12 of the standard 10 beneath the base of the can.With the can resting on this foot, and with its axis parallel to theshank portion 10 of the standard, it is only necessary to insert thedownwardlyextending boss of conventional opener 20 beneath theturned-over end of the standard, When the handle 24 is pulled upwardly,the can will be punctured by the pointed end 22. The can may then berotated on the support 12 and the operation repeated to provide a secondpuncture or hole in the top of the can.

Due to the fact that the device of this invention may be made from asingle stamping of metal, the cost of same will be negligible. It can beused with any conventional type of can opener or can puncturing device,such as shown in the figure of the drawings.

The above description and drawings disclose a single embodiment of theinvention, and specific language has been employed in describing theseveral figures. It will, nevertheless, be understood that nolimitations of the scope of the invention are thereby contemplated, andthat various alterations and modifications may be made such as wouldoccur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

I claim:

1. A standard for use with a can opener having a downwardly-extendingboss, and a sharpened cutting element extending beneath said opener andspaced from said boss, said standard comprising a shank portion, a footextending adjacent the lower end of said shank portion, and aturned-over end adjacent the upper end of said shank portion wherebysaid foot is adapted to support a can whilst the boss of said opener isin engagement with the said turned-over end of said support during theopening of said can, said turned-over end extending in the oppositedirection from said foot, said standard turned-over end and said canopener downwardlyextending boss forming facing hook members engageablewith and disengageable from each other, whereby when said hook membersare in engagement with each other said can opener boss may rotateagainst a surface of said standard turned-over end to thereby permitoperation of said can opener on a can supported by said foot.

2. A standard for use with a can opener having a curved downwardlyextending boss and a sharpened cutting element extending beneath saidopener and spaced from said boss, said standard comprising a shankportion, a foot extending adjacent the lower end of said shank portion,and a downwardly curved, turned-over end adjacent the upper end of saidshank portion whereby said foot is adapted to support a can while theboss of said opener is in engagement with the said turned-over end ofsaid support during the opening of said can, said standard turned-overend and said curved downwardly extending boss of said can opener formingfacing hook members engageable with and disengageable from each other,whereby when said hook members are in engagement with each other saidcan opener boss may rotate against a curved surface of said standardturned-over end to thereby permit operation of said can opener on a cansupported by said foot.

3. A standard for use with a can opener having a downwardly-extendingboss, and a sharpened cutting element extending beneath said opener andspaced from said boss, said standard comprising a shank portion, a footextending adjacent the lower end of said shank portion, and aturned-over end adjacent the upper end of said shank portion wherebysaid foot is adapted to support a can whilst the boss of said opener isin engagement with the said turned-over end of said support during theopening of said can, said turned-over end extending in the oppositedirection from said foot, said foot, turned-over end, and shank portioncomprising a single piece of metal stamping, said standard turned-overend and said can opener downwardly-extending boss forming facing hookmembers engageable with and disengageable from each other, whereby whensaid hook members are in engagement with each other said can opener bossmay rotate against a surface of said standard turned-over end to therebypermit operation of said can opener on a can supported by said foot.

4. A standard for use with a can opener having a curved downwardlyextending boss and a sharpened cutting element extending beneath saidopener and spaced from said boss, said standard comprising a shankportion, a foot extending adjacent the lower end of said shank portion,and a downwardly curved, turned-over end adjacent the upper end of saidshank portion whereby said foot is adapted to support a can while theboss of said opener is in engagement with the said turned-over end ofsaid support during the opening of said can, said foot, said downwardlycurved turned-over end and said shank portion comprising a single pieceof metal stamping, said standard turned-over end and said curveddownwardly extending boss of said can opener forming facing hook membersengageable with and disengageable from each other, whereby when saidhook members are in engagement with each other said can opener boss mayrotate against a curved surface of said standard turnedover end tothereby permit operation of said can opener on a can supported by saidfoot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS470,024 Welch Mar. 1, 1892 1,280,675 Cullen Oct. 8, 1918 1,452,287 BurkeApr. 17, 1923 2,638,666 Mayo et a1 May 19, 1953 2,677,882 Scheringer May11, 1954

